CHAPTERTWENTY
Lorna sat in the bath, staring at the fire in the hearth. Lazily, she spread the soap over her arms, enjoying the familiar scent of rose that Kyla had put in her bath for her. The only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire and the tiny splashes of water. It was a soothing mixture for the chaos in Lorna’s mind.
That kiss.
It was even better than the first one, and it had opened doors of her desire in a way that she hadn’t even realized were possible. Lorna wished that Bryce had not had the intelligence to pause in the armory. She was very ready for Bryce to lay her down on the hard, cold floor and help to release the dull, merciless ache. She flushed at the memory of how willing and wanton she’d been. She’d still heard no words of true affection from him, and yet she wished that his hands would have been able to get to her, to touch her skin, everywhere.
She wanted his mouth everywhere too, and the feeling was so unusual. The ache remained between her legs, and she swallowed, wondering if there was a way that she could release it. Dropping her soap into the bath, her right hand slid down the front of her body. With no notion of what she was doing, she simply followed the path of her desire. As her hand moved, a line of fire was left behind, and she gasped with surprise when her hand finally paused at the apex of her thighs.
There. There was the place where her desire was greatest. Closing her eyes, she imagined Bryce before her, lifting her skirts to touch her there with his hand. Swallowing hard, she began to move her fingertips across her opening, trembling a little at the increase of heated pleasure.
Yes, this was it, this was exactly what she had been looking for. Her hand kept moving, rubbing down and up, but finally settling over the gentle nub where it was giving her the most pleasure. She leaned her head back against the tub, opening her mouth to breathe out her pleasure as her hand quickened its pace.
Her mind was completely full of images of Bryce. Bryce smiling, kissing her mouth and her neck, his hands on her breasts and on her backside. She imagined the scent of him, the sounds of his desire, the way he spoke the words that he wanted hermore than anything.It made her pleasure crackle and burn, and it built upon itself as she kept her hand going.
“Aye,” she said softly, feeling it rise even more, and she moved her hand even faster to increase her enjoyment until finally, she felt the pleasure take over her body. She cried out to the ceiling, fluttering her eyes open in surprise as the warm sensation spread everywhere through her veins and in her muscles. She jerked and spasmed, causing the splashing sound of the water to get a little louder.
“Dear God,” she said with a slight chuckle, amazed and proud of her brazenness. “If this is what we might do taegether, then I donnae wish tae wait another minute. Taemorrow,” she said with a growing smile. “I will find him taemorrow.”
The next morning, after a lovely night’s sleep, Lorna woke rested and happy. She knew her day was filled with two funerals, and yet she still couldn’t wipe the foolish smile from her face. The situation last night in her bath had given her a confidence she hadn’t known she possessed. She felt like she’d crossed over a barrier between girlhood and womanhood, and she wanted to take her newfound confidence to Bryce as soon as possible.
She and Kyla dressed, and then they went downstairs to make the final preparations for the funerals. Despite Lorna’s happiness, the sight of the bodies being removed from the cold storage and taken out in the wagon to the ceremony was a grim sight. It sobered her and made her quiet, and she wondered what it was like for Bryce who had already seen so much death in his time. She felt she admired him for it, and she watched in awe as he, Athol, Tobias, and a few soldiers handled the bodies themselves, laying them reverently in the wooden boxes crafted for them.
The priest did arrive, despite Lorna’s fears, and with a small crowd huddled around the two coffins beside the deep graves, he performed the ceremony well enough. It was long, however, with his drawn-out speech, and Lorna found herself distracted many times, her eyes moving to look at Bryce from time to time.
He looked freshly washed and dressed, and she chastised herself terribly for wondering if he had thought of her while in his bath the night before. Trying to keep her focus, her eyes looked over the small crowd of villagers who had come to pay their respects. Some of them she recognized as family members, but there were others who seemed to be friends and well-wishers. Tobias was there with his wife, who seemed to be midway through her pregnancy, and his arm was wrapped around her as they watched Mrs. Creech being lowered into the ground. Athol stood near to the priest, looking solemn and Lairdly, for her father had not yet returned.
“And may the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace through the mercy of Christ our Lord,” Father McCauley said, making the sign of the cross over his chest. The crowd followed, and Lorna clasped Kyla’s hands as the first shovelfuls of dirt covered the bodies. They were gone now, gone for good. Even more, she was resolved to find the murderer, hoping that she could give them justice one day.
Will they be able tae rest in peace if I donnae?
When the priest was finished, servants began to give out bread and wine, and the villagers stayed to eat out under the afternoon sun. Lorna knew that it was her chance to ask questions. She looked at Kyla, took a breath, and then made her way to one of Conan’s family members.
* * *
Bryce knew what Lorna was about. He sensed much of what was in her mind as the ceremony dragged on, being presided over by the slow-talking priest. He knew, and yet he couldn’t stop her. He wanted to be different, not like her father or brother, and he wanted her to feel like she had something to offer. But he was afraid that by asking questions, she might create some tension which could cause problems between the villagers and their Laird.
He watched her move out into the crowd, clutching her glass of wine. She approached a young woman.
“I received yer letter, lad,” Tobias said at his side, making Bryce reluctantly turn away.
“Och, good.” He smiled. “So, I donnae have much tae say.”
“Well,” Tobias said, cocking his head and whispering, “I was not surprised by what you told me of the family here. Lady Arrin was far too old to have a young child when Lorna was born. But no one ever questioned it. As for what you sought through questioning, my men are still searching, and I have taken a few things back to the fort to look over. I will let you know if there is anything of interest.” He smiled at the woman at his side. “This is my wife, Leonora.”
“Wonderful tae meet ye,” Bryce said, smiling at the pretty brown-haired woman clutching Tobias’s arm. “I am sorry for the loss of the midwife, though.”
Tobias’s wife frowned. “She will be greatly missed. She always made everyone feel so comfortable and happy. The village will be at a loss without her.”
“Aye so they will.” Bryce’s eyes dragged over the small crowd to see Lorna in conversation with someone else. They were frowning, and his heart fluttered a little in fear for her safety, but he tamped down the urge to go and take over. He didn’t want to risk her anger or frustration.
“Well, Leonora and I will return home, I think. It is a long way, and she needs to rest,” Tobias said. “I will report back to you soon.” His eyes moved to watch Lorna. “It seems that your Lorna is asking questions herself, determined to assist us, is she not? I noticed that you did not wish her to come and see the midwife’s croft.”
“Aye, but I cannae stop her. I realize that now,” he chuckled. “She must do as she wishes.” He didn’t correct Tobias’s use of the phrase ‘your Lorna,’ for it had given him too much pleasure.
“A good thing to keep in mind, Bryce,” Tobias laughed, touching his shoulder, and winking. “A woman must have her head.”
“Good day tae ye,” Bryce said, waving goodbye to Tobias and his young wife, and feeling a pang of jealousy at their intimacy. They walked away arm in arm, and he wanted that for himself. War had blurred his vision of happiness for so long, but now he could see it in front of him, if only he had the courage, and if only Lorna wanted the same thing.
